1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reading device for reading identification information distinguishing a cartridge storing a recording medium and a recording/replaying apparatus using the reading device, and also relates to an information managing apparatus storing a plurality of cartridges for replaying or recording from or to according to commands from an external command device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recording mediums for computer systems include magnetic disks (hard disks, flexible disks, etc.), magnetic tape, and so forth. There are known information managing apparatuses which manage great amounts of information by comprising a plurality of drive units of recording medium such as described above, regarding which a great amount of information is recorded to and replayed from.
For example, with information managing apparatuses which use magnetic tape as the recording medium (hereafter referred to as "tape library devices"), a plurality of tape cassettes having magnetic tape stored within are stored in predetermined racks, and a desired tape is extracted therefrom by means of a transporting mechanism and mounted to a certain tape drive unit of which there are a plurality, thereby enabling recording/replaying of the tape information.
The control means within the tape library apparatus exchanges information with external command apparatuses such as a host computer, and the tape library apparatus provides the information required by the external command apparatus replayed from the magnetic tape via the tape drive unit or records certain information to the magnetic tape thereby, thus managing the information.
Now, with such equipment, in the event that the number or types of tape cassettes having the magnetic tape increases to a certain extent, there arises the need to provide the cassette tapes with identification information for identifying the tape cassette (e.g., the title of the tape cassette, type or format of tape, etc.), in addition to the information recorded to the magnetic tape of each tape cassette, i.e., the need to manage the tape cassettes.
In order to deal with this need, there can be conceived an arrangement wherein the above identification information is recorded to some sort of storage means which is then either stored within the tape cassette or provided to the exterior of the tape cassette, allowing the identification information of the tape cassette to be read by the reading means provided to the tape drive unit within the apparatus.
However, the above method is problematic in that each tape cassette must be loaded to a tape drive unit and read in order to find out the tape cassette identification information.
Further, even in the event that a certain tape cassette does not have such storage means, there is the problem that this must also be mounted to the tape drive unit and read, consuming unnecessary time and energy on the identification information reading process. Increased frequency of use of the reading device can lead to reduced life expectancy of the device. Also, in the event that the apparatus attempts to read identification information from a tape cassette which does not have such identification information, this may result in deterioration or damage to the reading means.